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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. charge — electricity
  3. game — a match
  4. foot — a measure
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. charge — in control
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. snap — to click
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. prune — to trim
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. prune — to trim
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. charge — a price
  24. game — wild animals

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com